Avoiding all Types of Religious Dogmatism
Michael Friant Dr. Sorensen Phi 215 D02 6 May 2019
Avoiding all Types of Religious Dogmatism
When an individual’s views on the existence of God evolves, their whole worldview changes drastically. They go through a metamorphosis of religious philosophies. There are three main views on the existence of God. Theists are individuals who are certain God exists while individuals who are certain that God does not exist are atheists. Agnostics are individuals who are unsure about the existence of God. Personally, I am an agnostic because while there is possibly evidence pointing to an intelligent being, there should be more evidence pointing to one specific religious viewpoint.
Religious people often use experiences which are shaped by their viewpoints as proof for existence of God. I have heard experiences from my Presbyterian friends that they claim to be proof for the existence of God. I have also heard these same types of scenarios from my Mormon friends with the same emphasis on the existence of God according to their views. I grew up Presbyterian and thought certain experiences pointed to the existence of God, and when I was following Mormonism, I had the same experiences that pointed to the existence of God. As a result, I am in limbo that either God superceeds all religious views or God is just the scientific label we throw on complicated matters we do not yet understand.
There are different classifications of agnosticism. According to The Basics of Philosophy, mild agnosticism is the belief that “the existence or non-existence of God or gods is currently unknown but is not necessarily unknownable, therefore one will withhold judgment until more evidence becomes available” (“Agnosticism”). This matches up with my belief because while I believe there is evidence that possibly indicates the existence of God, I am withholding a verdict until either more substantial evidence pointing to a specific religious viewpoint or a break through in the scientific community becomes available.
There are philosophers who were opposed to dogmatic viewpoints in the belief of the existence of God. Bill Young in his article entitled “The Origin of the Word Agnostic” quotes Thomas Henry Huxley, “I invented the word 'Agnostic' to denote people who, like myself, confess themselves to be hopelessly ignorant concerning a variety of matters, about which metaphysicians and theologians, both orthodox and heterodox, dogmatise with utmost confidence....”. Personally, when I hear my friends stating unequivocally that there is a God and using personal experiences as proof, I always think several things to myself. First, personal experience is subjective and is influenced by their religious viewpoints. Second, how can one be so sure God exists when there is no substantial evidence pointing to his existence. Third, if believing in God with a certain religious stance essentially dictates the destiny of an individual, the individual ought to be cautious about what religious viewpoint one follows with no substantial evidence backing up the religion.
There are philosophers who claim they have to believe in the existence of God in order to understand the world. St Anselm of Canterbury states, “For I do not seek to understand in order to believe, but I believe in order to understand. For I believe this: unless I believe, I will not understand” (BrainyQuotes). I disagree with this statement for a number of reasons. First, there are countries where the teaching of Christianity is either not allowed or it has not been introduced. Yet, though these countries have some well respected and intellectual individuals who make some very important decisions, not only for their countries, but they may have ramifications for the world. He is stating those individuals are not able to understand the existence of the universe. Obviously, this is not accurate. Second, St. Anselm of Canterbury believes in the Christian God. He is implying that he is the only one who has access to the right interpretation of the universe. This is a dogmatic view. There are very influential leaders who are Muslims, Catholics, Hindu, and even atheists. These leaders make decisions impacting their countries and potentially the world. He is implying these individuals are destroying the world through a lack of understanding.
There are theists who believe the marvelous unexplainable characteristics of the universe indicates the existence of God. Sir Isaac Newton says, “This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being” (BrainyQuotes). While the universe possibly indicates the presence of a supernatural being, it does not indicate which religious viewpoint it subscribes to. For example, the Christian view on God and the Mormon view on God are dymetrically opposite to each other. Christianity believes God is a spirit while Mormonism asserts that God has a body of flesh and blood. Yet, both religions use the unfathomable characteristics of the universe as proof for the existence of God. Obviously, both religions can not be correct simultaneously.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are atheists who say that a lack of tangible evidence towards the existence of God unequivocally makes individuals atheists. According to Richard Dawkins, “If children understand that beliefs should be substantiated with evidence, as opposed to tradition, authority, revelation or faith, they will automatically work out for themselves that they are atheists” (BrainyQuote). It is not a proper representation to state that once those individuals realize a lack of evidence it unequivocally means there no God to these individuals. First of all, it is almost certain individuals evolve through a long process of decoding from a specific religious viewpoint. During this time, they probably explore other religious philosophical viewpoints. Second, while there is no substantial evidence to prove a certain stance, there are enough unknown facts to cause an individual to pause and keep the possibility open. Third, being submissive to authority, tradition, faith, and revelation are so intertwined with the the concept of the religion being correct that it is almost impossible for the individuals to realize all of that at once.
While these religious philosophers together with my own experiences caution us on being absolutely certain about a religion view, remember to always be receptive to new explanations emerging for or against the existence of God. Although religious organizations do not have sufficient evidence to support their claims, there are always valid and virtuous characteristics and practices an individual can implement into their worldview. By doing this, individuals are formulating their own unique viewpoint while keeping an open mind, acknowledging and learning from cultures and individuals of all religions philosophies.
Works Cited
“Agnosticism,” The Basics of Philosophy, https://www.philosophybasics.com/branch_agnosticism.html Accessed on 1 May 2019.
Dawkins, Richard, “Atheists Quotes,” BrainyQuote. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/richard_dawkins_447495 .
Newton, Isaac, “Isaac Newton Quotes,” BrainyQuote. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/isaac_newton_753048 .
St. Anselm of Canterbury, “Anselm of Canterbury Quotes,” BrainyQuote https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/anselm_of_canterbury_400869
Young, Bill. “The Origin of the Word 'Agnosticism',” https://infidels.org/library/modern/reason/agnosticism/agnostic.html#top . Accessed on 3 May 2019.